Is Your Online Business Safe?

Is Your Online Business Safe?

by | Apr 18, 2018 | Blog

Implementing proper security measures in your business is essential for protecting your intellectual property. Here are my eight tips for keeping your online business safe.

1 – Use Multiple Passwords
It might seem like a hassle, but you’re better off using a different secure password for every site you hold an account on. This way, if one of your passwords is ever discovered, your information on other sites will still be protected. If juggling multiple passwords around in your head feels like too much of a chore, I recommend getting your hands on LastPass, a software that will allow you to have a single master password to protect, store, manage, and access all your others. It also contains a variety of extra features, such as a form-filling function, a password generator tool, and two-factor authentication for added security.

2 – Back It Up!
Your website is your storefront. It represents your brand, sets the stage for your business, and is your primary medium through which you communicate information to your clients. Keep it safe; back it up. For WordPress users, Updraft is an excellent program that will automatically backup your website at a regular interval of your choosing (every 4, 8, or 12 hours, daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly). It can also assist in moving your entire site to a different domain, and will even trigger automatic backups before major WordPress updates to ensure that your data and formatting is not negatively affected.

3 – Back It All Up!
I highly recommend that you invest in an external hard drive and backup your entire computer on a regular basis. Studies show that only about 5% of people back up their data on a daily basis, and yet over 90% of businesses that suffer major data loss go out of business within a year. Be one of the smart ones; your clients and your future self will appreciate the initiative and added sense of security. Seagate manufactures an excellent and diverse line of external hard drives for any budget. At the time of writing this post, a 1-terabyte drive runs around $80, but if you can set aside a little more, you can score a 6-terabyte drive for just under $200, and even less on a sale.

4 – Own Your Content
All files stored in cloud services such a Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive should be created within your account so that you are the owner. Be careful about to whom you grant permission to modify your files. Finally, be sure to thoroughly read the user agreements of any cloud service you use to ensure that their policy is in your best interest. Don’t trust a cloud service with protecting your intellectual property before you read what you’re signing up for!

5 – Stay Up to Date
Be sure to update your computer’s operating system and software regularly. This will ensure top-notch performance, and in the event that you should run into technical issues, it will make troubleshooting a whole lot easier. Also, be sure to stay current with your security updates. You may feel pestered by being prompted to update your antivirus software on a weekly or even daily basis, but malware accounts for a surprising percentage of data loss cases; up to 7%. Don’t be one of the unlucky few!

6 – Protect Your Network
Ensure that your wireless network and its associated password are protected. Avoid sharing your password with visitors. You can always create a “guest” network for sharing with visitors, but change the password to this one often. For extra security, consider acquiring VPN software. This will help you protect your IP address while browsing. Your intellectual property is valuable; if you’re planning on both running your business and shopping online through the same computer, make sure you take that extra step to keep your network secure.

7 – Standard Operating Procedures
Optimize your workflow by taking the time to document the steps you take to complete tasks. Putting together a set of standard operating procedures will ensure that your business’ daily tasks are managed in a more consistent, closely monitored, and ultimately secure manner. If a team member leaves or is absent, others will easily be able to take over in their place and keep things running with little disruption. Finally, it will bring you great peace of mind to get that flurry of information out of your head, onto paper, and then perfected.

8 – Get it in Writing
All is good – until it isn’t. When you’re starting out, it’s tempting to put together a team made up of a small group of friends and operate on an honour system. While this can work great, it comes with its own security risks. The integrity of your team is critical; even a little bit of disorganization on their part can seriously compromise your business’ security. For this reason, I suggest you have written agreements with all your team members. Delegate who handles what. Set rules for how sensitive information is handled. Make sure everyone understands what is expected of them, and the consequences of not meeting those expectations.

Need help putting these ideas into action? Want to learn even more about how to keep your business secure? Schedule a complimentary discovery call with me, and we’ll get you on the right track! 

Vacation? What Vacation?

Vacation? What Vacation?

by | Apr 11, 2018 | Blog

I’ll be the first to admit that it can be really hard for me to unplug from my business. My phone is with me all the time. I’m checking it at all hours of the day, and if something pops up that requires my attention, I take care of it right away.  

My relationship with myself is admittedly a work in progress, but putting together a team has helped me enjoy a little downtime. Now, with their help, I may finally be able to take a proper vacation, leaving my computer and iPhone behind for the first time in a very long time.

When your systems are all there in your head, it’s normal to be skeptical about bringing in outside help. You might say to yourself: “it would take me forever to teach someone to do what I do. What’s the point?” You might worry about falling behind in your business, and seeing it fall apart as a result. The trick here is to take the time to get your systems documented, and then perfect them. Then, automate what you can, and delegate the rest to others. Delegation isn’t always easy, but once you’ve put together a team that you can trust, and have set systems in place to ensure they know what to do and how to do it, you’ll find that the payoff is well worth the effort.

The next step is, of course, making time for yourself. For most of us, this is the biggest challenge. It may seem contradictory, but the truth is that if you can take the time to systematize, automate, and delegate, you will ultimately end up with more free time to spend with your loved ones and do the things you enjoy.

The solution? Hire someone to help you set the systems in place that will allow you to have the work-life balance you’ve always dreamed of, and that drove you to start your own business in the first place. It’s an investment that will give back to you many times over. Then, you can finally take that vacation, without your laptop and your computer, and enjoy your time away without worrying about your business at all. Priceless!

Did this speak to you? Do you not know where to start? What are you waiting for? Sign up for a discovery call, and we’ll get started on a plan just for you!

Is Your Business Ready for the Unexpected?

Is Your Business Ready for the Unexpected?

by | Apr 4, 2018 | Blog

Would your business continue on without your daily input if you were called away today? Is your business ready for the unexpected?

There are many reasons in life that could cause you to have to leave your business for an extended amount of time – pregnancy, adoption, caring for a loved one and personal medical issues are a few. The thing is, we really don’t know what is around the corner. And being prepared for unexpected events such as these are so often not thought of until they happen, and you are left scrambling around to keep things afloat and running.

Preparing for the unexpected is just good business, and can save you money, time and stress. But where do you start?

Here are three important areas in your business to consider in such circumstances:

I. Customer Communication

Retaining and attracting new customers is imperative so that your business doesn’t atrophy.

Content: Having content that is prepared in advance and ready to go by way of welcome and nurturing sequences, passive product funnels, waitlists and autoresponders keep your clients, established and new, satisfied and coming back for more.

Customer support: Having a system in place where your customers can get support if they need it in your absence is vital.  

II. Workflow

Systems and Guidelines:  The daily workflow of your business should be established with systems and guidelines that allow your team to continue on without your input, and according to your wishes.  

Chain of Command:  So that all team members know where to get the information and guidance they need in your absence, a chain of command should be established and the main contact person designated.

Workflow Distribution:  Having the right people doing the right things for their skill level is extremely important for cost efficiency.

III. Team Members

Training Existing Team Members: At times, it makes sense to train existing team members to take on additional responsibilities, if she or he has the capabilities to do so.  

Onboarding New Members: Part of your preparation could also include onboarding a new team member such as an OBM or a retainer VA to bring in the skills set that you require in your absence.    

Standard Operating Procedures: Having documentation showing the workflow and how-tos for different tasks saves a great deal of time and frustration if one of your team members leaves unexpectedly and others must take over their task load, or when onboarding.   Without proper SOPs, the time spent (and cost) outsourcing and training a new team member can be daunting, and takes many valuable hours away from the core activities of your business. Think of your SOP as an insurance policy, both for your day-to-day business and your sanity.    

Is your business ready for the unexpected?  Set up a complimentary discovery call with me to find out!  

Have any comments, suggestions, or personal experiences you want to share?  Please comment below!